EXCLUSIVE: Shout! Studios has taken exclusive worldwide rights to Jim Henson’s beloved fantasy adventure movies Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, as part of a new multi-year distribution alliance with The Jim Henson Company, Deadline has learned.
Under the pact, which went into effect on January 1st, Shout! holds rights to the titles in the arenas of streaming, video-on-demand, broadcast, digital download, and all packaged media, as well as limited non-theatrical rights. In addition to Henson’s aforementioned cult hits, the partnership provides Shout! Studios with the same global rights to behind-the-scenes specials Inside the Labyrinth and The World of the Dark Crystal.
Shout! Studios is planning an extensive rollout of the films and associated content, beginning with the digital release of Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal across all major digital entertainment platforms on February 6th.
The news comes around a year and a half after an earlier worldwide distribution agreement between Shout! and The Jim Henson Company, which gave the former rights to thirteen of Henson’s beloved series and specials — among them, the Emmy-nominated sci-fi drama Farscape and the Emmy-winning fantasy anthology The Storyteller.
“Jim Henson was a prolific and deeply creative artist, innovating both filmmaking and puppetry with these iconic fantasy films that have come to define the genre over the decades since their release,” said Kerry Novick, who serves as Vice President of Global Distribution at The Jim Henson Company. “With our new partner Shout! Studios, fans will easily be able to enjoy The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth and their respective making-of specials, and new audiences around the world will be introduced to these seminal titles that are such an important part of Jim Henson’s legacy.”
Added Shout! Studios’ Executive Vice President, Kids & Family Entertainment, Melissa Boag, “We are very excited about the new opportunity with The Jim Henson Company. Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal are timeless fantasy movie adventures that captivate audiences around the world. It is truly remarkable to see these two movies and their extraordinary characters enchant a new generation of pop culture fans.”
Originally released in 1986, Labyrinth follows Sarah Williams (Jennifer Connelly) as she makes her way through the labyrinth of the Goblin King Jareth (David Bowie) in search of her little brother Toby. A mainstay of the fantasy genre with its spectacular visual effects and ground-breaking animatronics, the film directed by Henson is of special interest to Bowie fans worldwide, given the original songs written and recorded especially for the film by the late icon. Pic was produced by The Jim Henson Company and Lucasfilm Ltd.
Helmed by Henson and Frank Oz, The Dark Crystal travels back in time to the faraway planet of Thra, where evil Skeksis are in control and the Gelfling Jen, the last of his kind, is sent on a quest by the peaceful Mystics to find the missing shard that will restore balance and heal the world. Henson, Kathryn Mullen, and Oz star in the pic, initially released in 1982.
Animatronics and creature design for both films were created by Henson’s Creature Shop.
Recognized as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics and digital animation, The Jim Henson Company has remained a leader in family entertainment for over 65 years. Henson’s most recent credits include the Oscar-winning Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio for Netflix, Emmy winner Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock for Apple TV+, and The Portable Door for MGM+. Currently, the company is in post on a Disney+ reimagining of the family film Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, based on the same-name children’s book, which is set to star Eva Longoria and Cheech Marin.
Shout! Studios owns and manages a large portfolio of contemporary and classic films, series, animation and documentaries. The company’s creative acquisition mandate has established it as a leading independent distributor, with partners and properties including Aardman Animations, ALF, The Carol Burnett Show, Stephen J. Cannell Productions, the Roger Corman New Horizons Pictures Library, Gkids, ITV Studios, The Johnny Carson Show, Laika Studios, Mystery Science Theater 3000 (in partnership with creator Joel Hodgson), and Sesame Street, among many others.